I have griped about it before, the constant pull of screens for our attention. It is embarrassing to admit the struggle to close an app and frustrating to feel I can’t delete the darn things. Especially at my age.
As a writer, there are certain social media platforms that are just downright necessary if you want anyone to know you have written anything. Publishers insist on it. Not that I’m trying to be the next J.K. Rowling or Jan Karon, but I do write so you can, you know, read it. Otherwise I would just be jotting these thoughts down in a journal. (Don’t worry, I do that, too.)
My classes through Southern New Hampshire University have forced me to write more than ever before. I love it, and I’m thankful to be able to go back to school in this season of life. I have learned so much more than I would have anticipated and written in genres and on topics I would have never considered in the past. There is something about a challenge and deadline that puts my fingers into high gear.
I am also writing a novel, one that is taking on a life of its own. Twists and turns are being fueled by what I’m learning in my classes and the input of my writers’ group (shoutout to Amanda, Lili, and Melissa!) who give me honest feedback and make everything I write better. But the workload of my classes has made it difficult to spend much time writing my novel, so I’ve been seeking ways to carve out more time for it. I want to get this novel finished and, hopefully, published by the time I graduate.
I’m also a mom of five, lover of animals and gardening, have several trips planned in the coming months, and still have to keep up with laundry and dishes. I have a wonderful husband who deserves the best of me, and I try to spend as much time with him as possible. The fact is, we are busy and we aren’t getting any younger.
Time is short.
And writing takes time. Lots of it.
So how can I fit in writing a novel in the middle of an average hectic day?
I have discovered three important things that work for me.
ONE: Get up early.
I know. It is summer. I have allowed myself a handful of mornings to sleep later (getting up around 7:30, maybe as late as 9 if we are out of town). But the fact is, I regret it almost every time. Sure, I am rested but the day feels way too short. Without the slow start I need, I struggle to stay on task and end up pushing aside the things that are life-giving (like focused time with God and writing) because there are other things that can’t wait. If I get up early, though, I get that precious morning time where I practice quiet, solitude, prayer, journaling, and scripture reading. Then I am able to tackle chores, school assignments, and errands before the day is done, leaving me time to work on my book.
TWO: Turn off the TV.
I remember, years ago, when I kept the TV on all the time “for noise.” It is how I was raised and I didn’t think anything of it. But as I have gotten older, I realize I cannot focus with words streaming from a speaker of any kind. In fact, random background noise makes me crazy! I need silence to think. I also have learned keeping up with the news is a great way to fuel anxiety. So, I don’t. These days, I rarely turn the TV on unless I need to check the weather or am watching a show with my husband or kids. Sometimes days go by without my picking up the remote. My mental health is better for it.
THREE: Buy a Brick.
First of all, I get NO financial benefit from this. This company doesn’t know I exist. So what is it? Ironically, I saw it on an Instagram ad and ordered it immediately. And, friends, it works. Go here to see what it is for yourself. I brick my phone before I go to bed and leave it bricked until I have everything done that is on my list for the day. That means no access to social media (and online shopping if I use that setting) no matter what. There is no getting around it without physically walking to my closet to tap my phone to the gray plastic square on the shelf next to my perfume. This little gadget has saved me HOURS. I have reduced my screen time by 56%. I didn't realize how often I responded to notifications, just checking “real quick” to see if they were something I needed to address immediately. I have rediscovered the fact they are, in fact, not. Most can wait. They really can. And the result is, I am reading more books in less time and writing. That is what I call a win.
We get one chance at this life, friends. One. So many things vie for our attention and tempt us to waste precious minutes. But those minutes become hours, then days, then months, then years. The average American spends just over 4 1/2 hours per day on their phones. Over a lifetime that adds up to 12 years.
TWELVE YEARS.
Though it is tempting to delete it all, the reality is many of us don’t have careers that allow us to. The world is what it is BUT we don’t have to get sucked in. We can have control. And if self-control is an issue? (This is me raising my hand.) Well, there are tools to help us regain it.
I mean, just imagine how many novels I could write in twelve years.
Boy do I ever need that Brick‼️🤣🤣🤣
Joining you in "Building Beloved Communities"..."Brick by Brick"